It has frequently been observed that consumption of alcoholic beverages gives rise to the discomfort known as "hangover." Hangover effects are experienced as unpleasant, and seem to vary in intensity and symptoms according to the individual. The most common hangover effects experienced are fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea, thirst, tension, anxiety, paleness, tremor, perspiration, halitosis and nystagmus. Prevention of some or all of these effects would be desirable not only from the individual sufferer's standpoint, but also from the viewpoint of employers and society in general, since much productive time is lost by individuals suffering therefrom.
The pathogenesis of hangover effects following consumption of alcohol is not precisely known. Some experiments indicate that these effects can be caused by the ethyl alcohol in the blood, by the congeners present in the beverage containing ethyl alcohol, or by a combination of both. Other experiments have indicated that hangover effects begin to appear with declining blood alcohol. In any case, as is well known, the symptoms appear after cessation of alcohol consumption.
Thiamine hydrochloride has been included in one part of a two-part composition for hangover relief, the composition also containing an analgesic, an antidepressant, an antacid and other ingredients as disclosed in Rice U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,569. Citric acid in the form of sodium citrate in solution and in combination with aspirin is also known to relieve hangover symptoms. Ascorbic acid has also been reported to reduce headache induced by the interaction of disulfiram and ethanol. However, the type of headache induced by the disulfiram and ethanol interaction is not similar to that produced by ethanol alone, since the symptoms of the former begin almost immediately following ethanol administration to disulfiram-treated patients whereas in the case of headache following ingestion of ethanol alone, they do not appear until eight to twelve hours later.
While a number of over-the-counter products are available for the relief of hangover, very few are useful for the prevention thereof. In fact, some of the more commonly used drugs, such as compositions containing aspirin, should not be used prior to ethanol consumption since their toxic effects are intensified thereby.